Muungano Kayamba Group
…Music of the Mijikenda Group Leader: Futuma Ali Mwacherure. Performers: Ali Bora Kopo, Binti Amadi, Chimetse, Mwanamtiti, Mwana Harusi, Nyaishi Dawa, Msindeni, Nkuria Saga, Mwana Kombo, Nchno…
Mr Bado Group
…rn Mohamed Said Ngana. He comes from a very musical family, who have been singing and performing Mijikenda dance and music for generations. He is the son of the legendary mwanzele singer and composer, Nyerere wa Konde. He was greatly influenced and inspired as a child by his father’s Mwanzele playing as well as by Maulid Juma’s Taarab, and Bhalo’s Chakacha. He started singing in 1994 while studying in Mombasa, and is now an accomplished music prod…
Day Three: Bungoma Town to Kakamega Story
…rning to education and getting a three year business degree at Dominion Training Center. We then spoke about the songs they were performing: Chapa Llale: This is a love song. Nasenya: A song about a man that gave his girlfriend special potions to love him more. But it failed to make her love him more and only led to more friction and fighting. Namusia: This is about a group of people known for their witchcraft. Magic moment 1: Ndirenje: Wilbert pl…
Serengeti Group Group
This group, formed in 2016, was from the community of Kuria and played in the Ritungu style – this style refers to the form of dancing where the two lead dancers ‘nodded’ their head in almost a trance like way to the music and to their large eight-stringed instrument. We were mesmerized. Their instruments included the: Zeze, Virandi (shakers), and Ritungu (eight stringed instrument, huge Nyatiti). The group had three musicians in ‘red’ and two da…
Here for Research? Page
If you’re looking for in-depth reports from our time in the field, or easy to find information regarding the groups we have met, you are in the correct place. Below you will find all of the research we have collated within our 10 years of experience recording the music of East Africa. Field Reports Our daily reports written from the field during our yearly trips. Head here for detailed information about the performances we record, the musicians…
Bigilia Group Group
…a, where we stayed all day recording Bigilia. They were cooking fish under the main tree and the women were sitting on the Mbuzi, which is used to cut the coconut for Wali (Coconut Rice). The dancers all had lovely necklaces (Usalu), hats (Kigarama) shakers (Mbugu), whistles (Firimbi), and ‘brooms’ (Usinga). The group leader was Asha Saidi Kazidi. The style was Unyago. Here is the group: They played 12 songs, including Magic Moments and Influences…
Here for the Music? Page
…perience some of the very best music East Africa has to offer then you are in the right place. For some of our stories, videos and the chance to listen to some of our Singing Wells Albums, head to the links below. Stories Read some of our most memorable stories from the field, featuring stunning photography taken by our team. Learn more about the communities we meet, the instruments that are being played and the background stories behind some of t…
The Music of the Mijikenda Album
This album documents the first Singing Wells field recording trip – to record the music of the Mijikenda in March 2011. The albums begins as the trip did, and in fact the whole project – with the Nyerere Wa Konde Music Club, and Zaire Ndindingwara – both recorded in the village of Sila. The next day saw 4 groups – and all are included here. Chechemeko Raha and 4 the Mzinga, both captured in Kibarani village, further south from Sila, and then fu…
Mohamed Uthman Kidumbak Group Group
…ki who teaches music in the DCMA. Kidumbak is a musical style with three main influences: Taarab, Unyago and Rumba. Dumba stands for a large drum. So Kidumba is a smaller, bongo style drum. Adding Ki to the beginning of the word makes it small. Mohamed Othman had no musicians in his family. He became interested in Kidumbak style music at 16 and taught himself the violin and bass. He went to Egypt off and on for six years on a scholarship from the…
Day Four: February 19, 2020 (Maruhabi Palace) Story
We drove back towards Stone Town and stopped at the Maruhubi Palace ruins. This palace was built by the third Sultan of Zanzibar from 1980-1982 for his secondary wives. It is now in ruins but you can still see the main buildings with baths inside, a massive overhead aqueduct that supplied water to the palace and circular ponds with lily pads. It’s set in a beautiful location along the coast surrounded by mango trees. We met the first group there…
Day Three: January 20th, 2019 Story
…he current band members. They are from the Sukuma Ntuzu community and play in the Bulabuka style. The play drums, which they call Ng’oma ya bula buka. The drums are made from the Mahama tree. We recorded eight songs with them: Balogi Wa Ngamboshi: This is about the Wizards of Balogi, where wizardry is perceived as a negative thing, evoking witch doctors and snake oil salesmen. Simiyu: A song for praise for the region. Bahuni ba ng’wanza: A song re…
Matende Culture Isukuti Youth Group Group
…to watch two bulls fight Ndulu Mumbo: The song you sing to celebrate the winning bull Songs around a funeral (Lwikhulu): Tsimbasi Tsia Mama: A song to console the mother who has lost a loved one. Mwoyo Kulimbila Mwikulu: After you die your heart will be able to rest. Songs for weddings (Shiselelo) Nukhufwale Maua: Giving flowers to the bride after the wedding Wulila Harvsi: The procession of groom coming to church and announcing the wedding at th…
Albums Introduction Page
One of the main aims of The Singing Wells project is to record and share the music we record in East Africa and one of the ways in which we can share this music is through our albums series. For each project we undertake, we curate an album of the resulting recordings. In most cases, this will include at least one recording from each group recorded. Where it works artistically, we’ll arrange the tracks on the album in chronological order of the r…
The Northern Tribes of Uganda Album
…t on our first day of recording, we were blessed with a recording location in the shade and 6 groups who turned up to perform their Acholi dance music. Day 2 found us in Paibona, with our first introduction to Likembe music provided by the Rubanga Kingom Awach Boys. The youthful energy of Ker Kel Kwaro followed, with our third group being led by an old lady and master of the Adungu (the Acholi version of the instrument – a three stringed lyre play…
Day One: February 16, 2020 (Ngawala Hotel) Story
… Nyota Za Meremeta – The group’s name means ‘twinkling stars’. They play in the Taarab style and are led by Professor Mohamed Ilyas, who played at the Serena Zanzibar Hotel for over twenty years and teaches at the Dhow Countries Music Academy. For 50 years he’s taught music in Zanzibar and promotes other musicians. Other members of this group include: Ramadhan Muhidan (accordion), Ali Ibrahim Musa (Kanan or Qanun), Tatu Hamisi Amur (accordion),…
Makunga Group
…akunga is from Dodoma and the Wagogo Community, which they argued is the main indigenous community of Tanzania (always from the land, never migrated into Tanzania. The group was formed in 2018, but was built on a much older group. They perform in the Wuyina style. Their instruments/costumes include the: Ndulele (Horn), the Nindo (Shakers), the Mbega: (Animal Skins), the Muheme (Drums), the Kabati (Shakers), the Kalimba (Thumb Piano), the Zeze (Oru…